Welt wire inserting device for straight bar knitting machines



3,008,315 ING DEVICE FOR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 14, 1961 H. E. HAEHNEL WELT WIRE INSERT Filed Sept. 26. 1958 INVENToR. Herbert .6 l/ae/me/ ATTORNEY Nov. 14, 1961 H. E. HAEHNEL 3,903,315v

WELT WIRE INSERTING DEVICE FOR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 26. 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 2 PlE- E 3'5 V O H HJLH 1 U U 2/ INVEN TOR. Herbert E Hae/me/ A Tia/FIVE) Nov. 14, 1961 H. E. HAEHNEL 3,

WELT WIRE INSERTING DEVICE FOR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 26, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FlE- E FlE- E FlE- l[1 FlE- ll FIE-. J E

k I I INVENTOR. Herbert E. Hae/me/ AIME/VB United tates Patent WELT WIRE INSERTING DEVICE FOR STRAIGHT This invention relates to improvements in straight bar knitting machines and more particularly to means for placing the welt wires in position to engage and tension the fabrics formed on such machines.

In knitting machines and particularly in such machines for knitting full-fashioned stocking blanks having turned welt portions, conventionally welt wires are manually placed on the welt fabrics, before they are folded and closed, and the welt wires are then engaged by take-up straps to tension the blanks until the blanks are completed. Heretofore, mechanisms have been proposed to eliminate certain of the manual operations, such mechanisms being designed for automatically removing the welt wires from a supporting means and for moving them to position for engagement by the take-up straps. However, these automatic mechanisms were not only complicated in both structure and operation but were also defective in operation making their use both economically and mechanically unsound. Consequently, although consuming more time and energy, the manual placement of the welt wires has continued to be the most practical method of performing this operation.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means in a full-fashioned knitting machine for transferring the welt Wires from a supporting means to a position in which they are engaged by the take-up mechanism of the machine, which means is simple in structure and operation and overcomes the above mentioned and other objections to prior known devices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means in a knitting machine for knitting fabric blanks, which means operates to individually remove a welt wire from a supply of such wires associated with each knitting section of the machine and transfer it to a position in which it is subsequently connected to tensioning means to take up the fabric blank.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means in a multi-section knitting machine for knitting fabric blanks, which means includes means associated with each section of the machine for supporting a supply of fabric tensioning wires in inactive position and means for removing a wire from the supporting means and for transferring it to a position for engagement by the fabric tensioning means of the machine, the supporting means also including means for releasing only a single wire for transfer to the take-up position while retaining the reportion of one knitting section of the machine of FIG. 1,

as viewed from the front of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale similar to a portion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale of certain of the mechanism of FIG. 2 as seen in the direction of the arrows 4--4;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an elevationalview on an enlarged scale of the mechanism of FIG. 3 as seen in the direction of the arrows 6-45;

FIG. 7 is a view on an enlarged scale similar to a portion of FIG. 3, the parts being shown in different positions relative to FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 88 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 99 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 1010 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of the arrows 12-12 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of a portion ofthe control mechanism of the machine.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown a portion of the framework of a multi-section full-fashioned knitting machine including one of a series of transverse frame members 15 which are rigidly connected by a longitudinally extending front beam 16, a back beam 17, a center bed and a front bed or table 21. Each section of the machine includes a series of spring beard needles 22 mounted in a bar 25, and a sinker head 26, carried on the center bed 20, having sinkers 27 and dividers 30. The needles 22, sinkers 27 and dividers 30 are operated in cooperative relation in a common manner from a cam shaft 31 to form yarns into loops in forming stocking blanks. Also cooperating with the needles 22 in forming turned welt portions of the stocking blanks are welt hooks 32 carried in a bar 35 the opposite ends of which are mounted for sliding movement toward and away from the needles on guide rails or bridges 36 secured to the front bed 21 (FIG. 2). The welt hooks 32 and supporting bar 35 are preferably the same in construction and operation as set forth in US. Patent No. 2,431,160, is sued November 18, 1947.

According to said Patent 2,431,160, during formation of a welt fabric, illustrated at 37 in FIG. 2, hook members 40 carried on take-up straps 41 are advanced tomaining wires of the supply in the supporting means, and I,

the transferring means acting to release the welt wire in a fabric take-up position prior to its engagement by the fabric tensioning means.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and cooperation of parts, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view taken transversely through a full-fashioned knitting machine having mechanism according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of a ward the needles 22 by steel bands 42 and the bands are latched and held with the hooks in the position shown in FIG. 3. A welt wire 45 is then manually inserted in slots 46 in the bridge members 36 above the fabric (FIGS. 2 and 3) and at a predetermined point in the welt forming cycle, the straps 41 are released to engage the hooks 40 with the welt wire 45 to tension the fabric. In accordance with prior practice in order to facilitate the manual insertion of the welt wire '45 in the slots 46, a

.; 45 is placed in the notches 53 in the members 47 and then by pressing downwardly on the welt wire, the members 47 are depressed against the action of springs 52 until the Walt wire enters the slots 46. The U-shaped members 47 per se form no part of the instant invention and are similar in construction and operation to members Patented Nov. 14, 1961 wires into the slots of the bridge members.

more fully shown and described in 11.8. Patent 2,653,461,

issued September 29, 195 3.

When it is considered that the abovernentioned manual operations performed to insert a welt wire 45 into the slots 46. of thebridge members 36 must be repeated thirty or more times during the production of each set of stocking blanks it will be readily apparent that they are both time and energy consuming. In accordance with the instant invention means are Provided to automatically perform these. operations, such means automatically removing a welt wire from a supply of such wires associated with each knitting section and simultaneously inserting the This means includes hopper devices 55 and 56 for supporting the right and left ends respectively of the welt rods, as viewed in FIG. 2. The hopper devices are identical in structure except that the parts are formed right and left hand and only device 55 will be described in detail herein. Hopper device 55 is in the form of a bracket 60 which is secured by a screw 61 to the front bed 21 outwardly of the bridge member 36 supporting the right end of the welt bar 35 (FIG. 2). At its upper end bracket 60 is provided with a housing portion 62 having an open ended slot 65 for receiving the welt wires 45, the narrow lower part of the slot having parallel side walls 66 which are so spaced as to maintain the welt wires in substantially vertical abutting relation, and a vertical back wall 67 which coacts with the corresponding back wall in the device 56 to center the welt wires with respect to the knitting section. At their upper ends the side walls 66 and back wall 67 of the slot 65 are flared upwardly and outwardly (FIGS. 5 and 7) to provide a funnel-like opening to guide the welt wires 45 into the lower part of the slot.

In order to support the welt wires 45 in the slot 65 and to permit removal of only one of the welt wires at a time, the housing portion 62 is provided with a latch member 70 having an upper wall 71, a lower wall 72 and end walls 75. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper and lower walls 71 and 72 of the latch member 70 are slidably mounted in slots 76 in the housing portion 62. A pin 77 secured in the housing portion 62 by a set screw 80 has its opposite ends slidably engaging in openings 81 in the end walls 75 (FIG. 9) to maintain the upper and lower walls71 and 72 of the latch member 70 in the slots 76 and to permit endwise or longitudinal movement of the latch member for purposes hereinafter set forth. A compression spring 82 surrounding the pin 77 between the left side of the housing portion and the left wall 75 of the latch member 70 tends to bias the latch member to its left hand position of FIG. 9.

When the latch member 70 is in its normal left hand positionras shown in FIG. 9, a slot 85 (FIG. 8) in the upper wall 71 is aligned with the slot 65 in the housing portion 62 and the lowermost welt wire rests on and is supported by the lower wall 72 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 10. When the lowermost welt wire is to be removed from the hopper device 55', the latch member 70 is movedtoward the right from its position of FIG. 9 to remove the lower wall 72 from its supporting position beneath the welt wire and to align a notch 86. in the lower wall with the lowermost portion of the slot 65*.(FIG. 11) thereby permitting the welt wire to pass through'this portion of the slot 65. At this time in order to prevent a second weltwire 45 from dropping from the slot 65, the portion of the. upper wall 71 to the left of the slot 85 is passed between the two lower fwelt wires 45 to. thereby Support all offthe welt wires in the hopper device 55 above the welt wire to. be removed therefrom,

' For so moving the latch member toward the right to release the lowermost welt wire 45 and to transfer the released welt wire to the slot 46 in the bridge member 36; there is provided a lever 87 which is pivoted intermediate,

its ends on a pin 90 (FIG. 3). Pin 90 is carried in the free end of an arm 91 secured to a shaft: extending lengthwise of the machine and being supported for rotative movement in brackets, one of which is shown at 95 (FIG. 3), secured to the center bed 20. At its upper end the lever 87 is provided with a rounded upper camming surface 96 and a slot 97 for receiving the welt wire 45 At its forward edge, lever 87 is provided with a short straight surface 100 which extends downwardly from and at substantially right angles to the lower surface of the slot 97 to merge with a curved camming surface 101. A spring 102 connected between the lower end of the lever 87 and the shaft 92 biases the surfaces 100 and 101 into engagement with a collar 105 (FIGS. 4 and 6), secured to the bridge member 36, to guide the upper end of the lever during vertical movements of the lever in a manner hereinafter set forth.

The shaft 92 is rocked about its axis to transmit vertical movements to the lever 87 by an arm 106, one end of which is secured to the shaft and the other end of which is pivotal-1y connected to a lever 107 by a link 110 (FIG. 1). Lever 107 is pivotally mounted on a pin 111 carried in a bracket'112 secured to the back beam 17. At its free end, lever 107 carries, a roller type follower 115 for engagement with a earn 116 on, the cam shaft 31. A spring 117 connected between an am 120 of the lever 107 and a bracket 121 on the. back beam 17 tends to bias the lever and follower 115 toward the cam 116. A stop screw 122 adjustably carried in a downwardly projecting portion 125 of the lever 107 is adapted to engage an overhanging end 126 of a latch lever 127 (FIG. 12). to normally maintain the lever in its positionof FIG. 1 to which it is moved by the high part of the cam 1'16. Latch lever 12'] is secured to one end of a short shaft 130 which is rotate ably carried in'a bracket 131 secured to the front beam 16. At its other end, the shaft 130 carries an arm 132 for engagement with a collar 135 fixed to a pattern rod 136 which is connected to and operated by pattern lever 137 (FIG. l3). Lever 137 is one of a series of like levers forming a part of a conventional pattern chain device 140 having buttons for operating the levers to control various functions of the machine' A spring 141 connected between the lever 127 and the bracket 131 biases the lever to its position 'of FIG. 12 and a spring 142 connected between the rod 136 and the front beam 16 moves the rod toward the right as viewed in FIG. 13 when a button is removed from beneath the lever 137.

When a welt wire 45 is to be removed from the hop-' per devices 55 and 56 and transferred or inserted into the grooves 46 of the bridges, a button on the chain is moved beneath the lever 137, the rod 136 is moved toward the left, as viewed in FIG. 13, to turn the shaft 130 and latch lever 127 counterclockwise to disengage the end 126 from the stop screw 122 thereby permitting lever 107 to (follow cam 116. As the lever 107 follows from the high to the low part of the cam the levers 87 are raised by the shaft 92' from the position of FIGS. 1 and 3 to'the position of FIG. 7. During this upward movement of the levers 87, the levers are also. turned slightly clockwise by the spring 102 as the surfaces 100 and 101 of the levers ride along the collars 105,

whereby their upper cumming surfaces, 26 engage an.

' upwardly, the camming surfaces 96 of the levers 8.?

. 90 to align the slots 97 in the levers with the lowermost welt wire, this position of the levers being attained as the follower 115 reaches the low part of the, earn 116. 'As

the slots 97 are aligned with the welt wire, the springs 102 act to turn the levers clockwise to catch the welt wire in the slots. Also at this time, the straight surfaces 100 on the forward edges of the levers 87 are aligned with the ears 145 on the latch members 70 to hold them in their night hand positions with the notches 86 in the lower walls 72 aligned with the lowermost portions of the slots 65.

As the lever 107 follows from the low to the high part of the cam 116 the levers 87 are moved downwardly to withdraw the lowermost welt wire 45 from the slots 65 in the hopper devices 55 and 56 and as the levers 87 pass downwardly beneath the ears 145 on the latch members 70, the latch members are returned to their left position by the springs 82. During this movement of the latch members 70 to the left, the lower walls 72 close the lowermost portions of the slots 65 and align the notches 85 in the upper walls 71 with the slots thereby permit ting another welt wire to drop down onto the lower walls of the latch members. As the levers 87 continue downwardly, the welt wire is pulled against the inclined surfaces 51 of the U-shaped members 47 to depress these mernbers until the welt wire is aligned with the slots 46 in the bridges 36. During this downward movement of the levers 87, the following action of the surfaces 100 and 101 also moves the levers counterclockwise about the pins 90 so that as the welt wire 45 is aligned with the slots 46, this counterclockwise movement of the levers together with the action of the inclined surfaces 51 of the U-shaped members on the welt wire, causes the welt wire to be withdrawn from the slots 97 in the levers. Also during this downward movement of the lever 87, the button on the pattern chain is moved from beneath the lever 137 and the rod 136 is returned by the spring 142 to its right hand position. Consequently, as the follower 115 reaches the high part of the cam 116, the lever 127 is moved clockwise (FIG. 12) to place the end 126 thereof above the lever 107 to hold the levers 87 in the position of FIG. 1 until a button is again moved beneath the lever 137. 7

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described by which the above results are obtained can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a Welt bar cooperating with said needles for forming a turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for sup porting opposite ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said welt bar supporting means are mounted, a welt wrre for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension to said welt wire to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for said welt bar for guiding said welt wire beneath said welt bar, in combination uuth means for transferring a welt wire, of a supply of such welt wires, from an inactive position to an active position in said slots of said welt bar supporting means for engagement by the books on said takeup straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in said hopper means movable between a position in which said welt wires are supported in said hopper means and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, said engaging means being movable to engage sad lowermost welt wire and to remove it from said hopper means and totransfer said welt wire to said slots, and means for disengaging said engaging means from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots, said engaging means also acting to move said latch means into position to release said lowermost welt wire when in welt wire engaging position.

2. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles,

hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for. applying tension to said welt wire to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for said welt bar for guiding said Welt wire beneath said welt bar, in

combination with means for transferring a welt wire, of

a supply of such welt wires, from an inactive position to an active position in said slots of said welt bar supporting means for engagement by the hooks on said take-up straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in said hopper means movable between a position in which said welt wires are supported in said hopper means and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, means for moving said engaging means to engage and remove said lowermost welt wire from said hopper means, to transfer said welt wire to said slots and to disengage said engaging means from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots, said engaging means also acting to move said latch means to release said lowermost welt wire when said engaging means is in welt wire engaging position, and means for controlling the operation of said moving means. I

3. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a welt bar cooperating with said needles for forming a turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for supporting opposite ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said welt bar supporting means are mounted, a welt wire for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension to said welt wire to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for said welt bar for guiding said welt wire beneath said welt bar, in combination with means for transferring a welt wire, of a supply of such welt wires, from an inactive position to an active position in said slots of said welt bar supporting means for engagement by the hooks on said take-up straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in said hopper means movable between a position in which said welt wires are supported in said hopper means and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, means for moving said engaging means along a path to engage and remove said lowermost welt wire from said hopper means and to transfer said welt wire to said slots, means for guiding said engaging means during movement along said path, said guiding means acting to disengage said engaging means from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots, and means for controlling the operation of said moving means, said engaging means also acting to move said latch means to said release position when said engaging means is in welt wire engaging position.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a welt bar cooperating with said needles for forming 2 turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for supporting opposite ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said welt bar supporting means are mounted, a welt wire for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension thereto to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for said welt bar for guiding said welt wire beneath said welt bar, in combination with means for transferring a welt wire, of a supply of such welt wires, from an inactive position to an active position in said slots in said welt bar supporting means for engagement by the hooks on said take-up straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in said hopper means movable between a position in which said wires are supported in said hopper means. and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, means for moving said engaging means along a path to engage and remove said lowermost 'wel't wire from said hopper means and to transfer it to said slots, and means for guiding said engaging means to engage said lowermost welt wire during movement along said path, said guiding means also acting to disengage said engaing means from said lowermost welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots. 5. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a welt bar cooperating with said needles to form a turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for supporting opposite ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said welt bar supporting means are mounted, a welt wire for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension thereto to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for guiding said welt wire beneath said welt bar, in combination with means for transferring a welt wire, of a supply of such welt wires, from an inactive position to a position in said slots of said supporting means for engagement by the b oks on said take-up straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt Wires, latch means in said hopper means movable between a position in which said wires are supported in said hopper means and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, means for moving said engaging means to engage and remove said lowermost welt wire from said hopper means, to. transfer said welt wire to said slots and to disengage said engaging means from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots, and means for controlling the operation of said moving means, said controlling means including a latch lever for holding said moving means in inactive position, and means for disengaging said latch lever from said moving means to permit operation thereof. a

6. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a welt bar cooperating with said needles to form a turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for supporting opposite. ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said welt bar supporting means are mounted, a welt wire for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension thereto to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for guiding said welt wire beneath said welt bar, in combination with means for transferring a welt wire, from a supply of such welt wires in an inactive position, to an active position in said slots of said supporting means for engagement by the hooks on said take-up straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in a fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in aid hopper means movable between a position in which said wires are supported in said hopper means and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, means for moving said engaging means to engage and remove said lowermost welt wire. from said hopper means, to transfer saidwelt wire to said slots and to disengage said engaging means from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots, and means for controlling the operation of saidmoving means, said controlling means including a latch lever for holding said moving means in inactive position,

and pattern controlled means for moving said latch lever to release said moving means to permit operation thereof,

7. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a welt bar cooperating with said needles to form a turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for supporting opposite ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said supporting means are mounted, a welt wire for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension thereto to take up said fabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for guiding said welt wire beneath said welt bar, in combination with means for transferring a welt wire, from a supply ofsuch welt wires in an inactive position, to an active position in said slots in said supporting means for engagement by the hookson said take-up straps including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in said hopper means movable between a position in which said welt wires are supported and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of-said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire, means for moving said engaging means along a path to. engage and remove said lowermost welt wire from said hopper means and to transfer said welt wire to said slots, said engaging means comprising pivoted members for engaging each end of said welt wire and having cam surfaces thereon and means coacting with said cam surfaces whereby said pivoted members. are guided along said path during movement by said moving means to disengage said pivoted members from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots.

8. In a straight bar knitting machine having needles, a welt bar cooperating with said needles to form a turned welt portion on a fabric blank, means for supporting opposite ends of said welt bar, a bed on which said supporting means are mounted, a welt wire for engagement with said welt portion, take-up straps having hooks for engaging the ends of said welt wire and for applying tension thereto to take up saidiabric blank, and slots in said supporting means for guiding said Welt wire beneath said Welt bar, in combination with means for transferring a welt wire from a supply of such welt wires to said slots in'said supporting means in position for engagement by the hooks on said take-up straps, said transferring means including hopper means mounted in fixed position on said bed for supporting said supply of welt wires, latch means in said hopper means, movable between a position in which said welt wires are supported and a position to release the lowermost welt wire of said supply, means for engaging said lowermost welt wire,

means for moving said engaging means along a, path to engage and remove said lowermost welt wire from said hopper means and to transfer said welt wire to said slots, said engaging means comprisingv pivoted members for engaging each end of said lowermost welt wire and having cam surfaces thereon, means coacting with said cam surfaces whereby said pivoted members are guided along said path during movement by said moving means to disengage said pivoted members from said welt wire after transfer thereof to said slots, and means for moving said pivoted members about their pivot to maintain said cam surfaces in engagement with said eoacting means,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,584,136 Lambach Feb. 5, 1952 2,618,947 Brown at al. Nov, 25, 1952 2,675,688 Shortlaud s s Apr. 20, 1954 

